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South Africa: Mashile Scoops Pan African Book Prize
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
4 July 2007
Posted to the web 5 July 2007
Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Twenty-eight year old South African actress, television personality and performing poet, Lebo Mashile was last Thursday last crowned the winner of the 2006 Pan African book prize, the NOMA Award, at a glittering ceremony held in Gaborone. She walked away with a cash prize of US$10 000.
Mashile's collection of poems, 'In a Ribbon of Rhythm', published in 2005 earned her the glory. The NOMA Awards, now in their 26th year, were named after their founder, who also own book-publishing company, Kodansha Publishers (London). The award is meant for African writers publishing on the continent. The award ceremonies are held in a different country each year.
Mashile, popular for her role in the movie Hotel Rwanda, and the SABC television series, 'L'Attitude', was accompanied by her mother, Prudence Mateme at the event hosted by the University of Botswana this year.
Mashile becomes the ninth woman to win the award. The honour is given for academic, children's book, or literature and creative writing and Mashile is the first poet to receive it.
Dressed in red, and sporting a huge natural Afro hairstyle the stoutly build poet gave a moving speech, and at some point was overcome by emotion when she shed tears of joy on stage.
In an interview, Mashile said she often gets rude remarks about her stout body from critics who believe a celebrity ought to be slender and sexy.
She said: "I am negotiating my status as a celebrity. Many people have told me how much they appreciate my performances, poems and the things I stand for. Obviously I have to deal with stupid people who say I'm fat. When they say that - I am a human being I have emotions - it hurts.
"Women who look like me tell me they are proud of me because they never believed that a fat person could gain celebrity status," she says.
Her natural Afro also attracted attention in a city where ladies prefer funky contemporary hairstyles offered by the hair salons. "Natural hair is the in thing in South Africa right now. This is real hair no fake," the NOMA winner said in an interview frequently interrupted by newly found fans who would come to ask for autographs.
She spent the following day at the University of Botswana performing alongside two of the country's finest women poets, T.J Dema and Boipelo Seleke, as the University celebrated its newly won right to archive the NOMA records.
The jury described Mashile's winning book as a " powerful voice which has great beauty, delight and meaning. The poet weaves her feelings, experiences and expectations around the story of her life, which merges with the story of the struggle for freedom among South Africans.
"In masterly and sonorous style, the poetry has a distinct oral flavour, developing oral poetry and performance beyond the boundaries of the poetry of the era of resistance.
"From the personal to the wider world, this is fresh philosophical writing, movingly declaiming the pride of heritage. These poems are the spoken word in all its beauty, power and elegance," reads the jury's verdict.
Mashile's poetry is said to infuse hip-hop beat that has made her style of poetry a mainstream cultural revolution in South Africa.
The South African poet, also founded Feela Sistah Spoken Word Collective with Napo Masheane in 2004.
In 2005, the year in which Mashile wrote her award winning poems, was a busy and fruitful year for the poet as she went on to release her debut album, 'Lebo Mashile Live' on her independent record label, Mashile Productions.
She also sponsored and presented the second season of original television series, 'L'attitude', which concluded early this year.
She has also performed in Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK), and has on many occasions been hired to facilitate workshops.
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Mashile has been decorated at various platforms before. In 2005, Cosmopolitan magazine named her among one of South Africa's 'Awesome Women'. And in 2002 she was awarded one of the 15 associateships for African women by the University of Cape Town.
Ironically the crowning of a 'spoken word' poet in Gaborone coincides with the upsurge of spoken word poetry especially in Botswana. Spoken word poetry has become an alternative form of entertainment in the capital.
The poetry sessions might be few, coming just once a month, but when they finally do, the theatre is always full, emphasising the growing popularity of spoken word poetry as a form of entertainment.
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| Copyright © 2007 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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